There’s a new man in charge of guiding school leadership in Alexandria City Public Schools.
The new acting executive director of school leadership is Rene Paschal, formerly acting executive director of human resources since October 2022.
Good Tuesday morning, Alexandria!
Any Alexandrian looking to get custom framing work done has a new option coming to Old Town.
Before the pandemic, I ran a Reddit forum that brought people together for local happy hours. It became a great outlet for an in-person social life: you could get out, get to know people nearby, and have a familiar group to spend time with. I enjoyed being the person who helped make that happen.
Getting people together became harder after the pandemic. Friends moved away, had kids, or settled into different routines, and organizing a night out took more effort. I still wanted that camaraderie, but having people to invite didn’t necessarily mean we could get something on the calendar.
I’m in my late 30s and live in Old Town. About a year ago, I joined Choros, a local membership community that helps guys build friendships through small-group activities. Since then, I’ve been to close to 50 hangouts, and it’s given me a regular group of guys to do things with around Alexandria and beyond.
I host board game nights and help host a monthly happy hour at the Commodore in Old Town. I’ve done escape rooms on King Street, trivia, food festivals in Del Ray, movie discussions, and Dungeons & Dragons (which can be especially tricky to get going as an adult with a busy schedule). Having that variety means I can find something that fits my mood and schedule, and there are usually familiar faces when I get there.
One of my favorite things, though, is getting on my bike, picking a destination, and making a day of it. Through Choros, I’ve found a consistent crew to ride with almost every month. That’s the kind of thing I wanted more of: people who enjoy the same stuff and make time to get out and do it together.
I still like hosting and bringing people together. What makes Choros useful is having a community to draw from, so every plan doesn’t depend on the same few friends being available. Other guys suggest and host things too, which gives me plenty of opportunities to join something without organizing it myself.
Over time, seeing the same guys at different activities builds familiarity. You have conversations to pick back up and another reason to make plans together. That’s how it’s become a circle of friends for me.
If you’re in Alexandria, check out Choros and come to one of our monthly happy hours at the Commodore. I’d be happy to meet a few more neighbors, whether you’re into board games, bike rides, or just getting out for a drink. There’s plenty happening here, along with activities throughout the rest of the D.C. area.
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(Updated 6 p.m.) Who was the female stranger?
It’s a question that’s haunted Alexandria since 1816, when a sick woman arrived by ship and died on Oct. 14, and her husband swore the local doctor to secrecy. Her grave in St. Paul’s Cemetery bears no name but tells the story of her passing.
While it won’t have the fierce competition of its French forebearer, Le Tour d’Alexandria is being hosted by the Alexandria Library later this month.
The 13-mile, 2.5-hour bike ride will run in a loop around Alexandria, hitting all of the library locations along the way.
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Join us for an evening of made-up-on-the-spot improv comedy! We'll be calling on you to give us suggestions for a totally unique show that'll never be seen again!
Show is 18+ recommended. We perform free shows for the Alexandria, VA and surrounding community. Donations help us rent space, supply drinks, and defray other costs!
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Saturday morning rain wasn’t enough to dampen this year’s Art On The Avenue in Del Ray.
As expected, thousands of visitors descended on Mount Vernon Avenue for the annual festival. The Visit Del Ray event featured more than 300 artist booths, live music on three stages, a pie baking contest, as well as a kids corner to create art at Pat Miller Neighborhood Square. City leaders and local business owners also cut a ribbon recognizing new Del Ray businesses.
It’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a day honoring and celebrating Native American history and culture, and in Alexandria, there are several closures or changes to services.
Alexandria’s DASH bus network is operating on a Saturday schedule today. The King Street Trolley is running from the King Street Metro station to City Hall every 15 minutes from 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
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Good Monday morning, Alexandria!
☀️ Today’s weather: Increasing clouds, with a high near 64. Southwest wind 5 to 9 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph and scattered showers tonight. On Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 69.
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(Updated 4:50 p.m.) It’s been a busy week in Alexandria, with police arresting a suspect in an attempted abduction and on the hunt for a driver after a hit-and-run.
The driver of a yellow Penske truck struck a 15-year-old boy in the Braddock neighborhood earlier this week and nearly ran over several other children at the nearby George Washington Middle School. Javone Scott, the juvenile struck by the truck, spoke to ABC7 yesterday and said he was running away when the truck hit him from behind.
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(Updated at 2:55 p.m.) A School Board work session on restructuring the makeup of the Board stopped short late last night after one member, Willie Bailey, walked out of the meeting.
Board Members were hammering out whether to expand terms from three to four years, stagger elections and switch from districts to at-large elections. The work session was held after a two-hour Board meeting and ended after 11 p.m. because the Board no longer had an in-person quorum after Bailey left.